The Lady of the Rain
by birdie-and-the-reaper
Summary: Cain goes in search of a murderer who kills children in the rain (mild slash) (edited) COMPLETE
1. The Mysterious Deaths

Oh, I just LOVE Count Cain. Well, maybe it's because it's by Kaori Yuki, but jeez, IT'S SO COOL. I've always wanted to write a Count Cain story, so here it is! 

The Lady Of The Rain is a Victorian children's story. I read it when I was in year 6, and it always stuck with me. This Fanfic is basically a mystery based around the tale. As the tale evolves, so does the fanfic. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Cain and Riff belongs to Kaori Yuki, who's art is superb. Cain and Riff are gorgeous! ^_^

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The Lady Of The Rain

By Birdie

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'There was once an old woman, she lived with her husband in the middle of a vast countryside. It rained a lot there, and was often bitterly cold.

One night, there was a knock on the door. The old woman opened it, and there stood a lady dressed in silk clothes and a veil covered her blonde hair. Even though it was pouring outside, she was not at all wet.

"Please may I seek shelter in your home?" she asked in a soft voice.

The old woman nodded. "Yes, come inside."

The lady came inside and sat down. She looked around with pale blue eyes. "You have a very nice house. Are you happy, madam?" 

The old woman sighed. "We are content, but last year, our daughter died. We have been troubled ever since."

The lady said: "If I give you a daughter, will you love her more than anything in the world?"

The old woman nodded. "Yes, we will love her more than anything!"

The lady stared. "A lot of women say that, but not a lot actually keep their promise." She turned to the rain. "You will have a daughter. Please love her more than anything." 

With that, the lady stood up and walked back into the rain.'

~*~

"Count! Come quickly!"

Cain ran forward. It was a body of a girl, her entire body was wet with water.

"Elaine S. Peters," the policeman informed. "We found her washed up on the riverbed after the storm."

Cain looked at the body. "She drowned to death, didn't she?"

The policeman nodded. "It seems very likely. Once it starts raining, it's pitch black and you can't see a thing! It's very easy to fall into the river and drown!"

The dark-hair count stood up. "Does it rain a lot here?"

"Yep, all the time."

"How many deaths have there been before this?"

"I don't know…3 or 4, I guess."

"ELAINE!!!!!"

A woman ran forward, pushing her way through the ever-growing crowd of people. "OH MY LORD!!! ELAINE!!!!"

The policeman tried to hold her back. "Mrs. Peters! Stop!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ELAINE???" the woman asked frantically. 

A sigh from the policeman. "Mrs. Peters, I'm afraid your daughter has died."

"NO!! THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!!! YOU'RE LYING!!! ELAINE~!!!"

~*~

"How could this have happened…?" Mrs. Peters kept on saying.

"Mrs. Peters, what happened the night Elaine disappeared?" Cain asked.

The woman looked up.

"Mrs. Peters?"

"Please, call me Helen."

"Helen, please describe what happened the night Elaine disappeared."

Helen sighed. "We had an argument…"

Cain frowned. "Over what?"  
  
"Oh, things. My husband died a few years back, and it's been total Hell since then. My Elaine didn't want to marry a nice young man I chose for her, and that night, she disappeared."

"Why did you want her to marry that man?"

"He was a lord…well, would be. We needed the money. Elaine had a weak heart. We needed that money for her operation. The Ina Carter Foundation is very good, but very expensive. But she didn't love that man…"

Cain nodded. "I see."

Helen broke down in tears. The rain outside was reflecting her sorrow, beating fiercely on the window glass. The world outside was just a whirl of pelting water and darkness.

~*~

"It seems slightly strange that 5 girls all drown in the rain…" Cain said suspiciously.

"One could wonder if there was something mysterious behind all this." Riff said sensibly. 

"Are you saying this is a murder case?" Cain asked with raised eyebrows.

Riff put Cain's coat and hat on the peg. "I can't think of a motive so far, but it seems too strange to be a coincidence."

Cain shrugged. "We'll see how this progresses."

"Count! There's been another death!"

Cain jumped. "What?! So soon?!"

A boy ran forward. "The patrol officer was walking along the river, when he saw a body! It's another drowned girl, Rebecca Collins!"

Cain groaned, grabbing his coat. "See you later, Riff."

Riff nodded. "Good luck, Master Cain."

~*~

"My poor daughter…my little ray of light…" Mr. Collins sobbed. "My Becky, why did you die…?!"

"Some information would be helpful…" Cain yawned.

"Come again?"  
  
"Did anything happen before Rebecca's death?"

Mr. Collins thought back. "Yes, we had a disagreement."

"On what?"

"A silly thing, about going to school. She wanted to go to University, but with her health condition, it seemed difficult. I didn't want any trouble, so I made her stay home. She was very upset, and she ran out into the rain. I didn't really think much of it at the time. How wrong I was."

Cain turned to face the man. "Rebecca had a health condition?"  
  
"Yes, a heart problem." The old man sighed.

"Just out of interest, did you go to any clients?"

"Yes, the Ina Carter Foundation. Why?"

Cain turned away. "Oh, nothing really…"

****

To Be Continued…

Ooh! What's up with the Ina Carter Foundation? Cliff-hanger? Review if you like it! See you later!

--Birdie


	2. Ina Carter

Disclaimer: I do not own Cain, Riff. HOWEVER, I do own Ina, Evangeline and Mary.

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The Lady Of The Rain

Chapter Two

By Birdie

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'The old woman actually gave birth to a daughter, who was like the rain, beautiful, mysterious but somewhat sad. She was very strange, always hiding from heat and light. But when it started to rain, she's rejoice with happiness. She would run outside and dance.

"Mother!" she cried. "Can you hear that? It's my brother and sisters dancing!"

Suddenly, the old woman's husband died. They were very sad, but carried on their daily lives. Though it was hard, they managed.

One day, the king's son was fishing in the river by the kingdom. It began to rain, so he hid under the shade of his little boat. Suddenly, he saw a maiden, dancing in the rain.

She turned to him and said: "It's cruel to take fish out water. Come, and dance with me!"

The prince said nothing. He was so entranced by her beauty. The maiden took no notice and continued dancing. When it stopped raining, she also stopped and went back home.

The prince got up and followed her. He saw the little cottage she lived in, and followed her in.

The maiden was quite frighten. The old woman stared at him. The prince held out his hand to the old lady.

"I am the prince's son. I want to take your daughter as my bride." '

~*~

"The Ina Carter foundation…" Cain was looking through another medical book. "Aha! Here it is!"

He turned to Riff and read: "The Ina Carter Foundation was started by Ina Carter, the wife of Isaac Carter. She had a weak heart and her husband found a cure. They decided to set up a clinic to treat this rare heart disease. They are very expensive, but the results are brilliant."

"Hmmm…" Cain muttered. "The plot thickens…" He turned away from Riff. "What do you think the Ina Carter Foundation would want with killing innocent girls?"

"Why don't we go and find out?" Riff suggested. "The coach is waiting outside."  
  
Cain looked at Riff as if he was a miracle made especially by God (a/n: which he is). "Riff…" Cain said quietly. "You're amazing…!"  
  
The count grabbed his coat and left.

~*~

The Ina Carter Foundation was a hectic place.

"OI YOU!!!!" a very angry woman kept on shouting. "GET OUT OF THE FREAKIN' WAY!!!! YOU'RE BLOCKING THE WAY OF THE TROLLEYS!!!!!"

Cain dodged to one side, just in time to escape another trolley from rolling him flat. Cain clutched his chest to stop his heart from coming out.

The angry woman walked over. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING JUST STANDIN' IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CORRIDOR??? DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE IN A HOSPITAL?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"

Cain looked at her coolly. The woman was grossly overweight, and had a mean frown, but he wasn't scared of her the slightest. The count has seen worse things than an obese lady with an attitude problem.

"I'm here to see Ina Carter." He said.

The woman stared at him as if he had just said the rudest word imaginable. 

"NO YOU CANNOT SEE DOCTOR. CARTER. SHE IS TOO BUSY FOR THE LIKES OF YOU! NOW GET OUT! I SAID OUT!!!"

"MARY!!!"

By the door stood a lady, she was very beautiful. She had long blonde hair and ice blue eyes. In her hand she held a clipboard.

"Mary!" she stormed over. "How many times have I told you not to harass the visitors!?"

"I'm sorry Doctor. Carter…" Mary mumbled, looking down to her over-sized feet.

Ina Carter turned to Cain. "I'm so sorry. Mary is just like this."

"It's alright…" Cain was utterly confused. 

"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ina Carter." The woman held out her hand.

"I am Count Cain Hargreave." Cain replied, shaking the hand.

Ina smiled. "I'm honoured. Please," she gestured. "Let me take you around my clinic."

~*~

"This was set up a few years ago," Ina told Cain as they walked down the dimly-lit corridor. "It by my husband for my heart condition."

"I know," said Cain. "I read it in the medical books."

"Yes, but it's been a bit hard lately…" Ina muttered.

"Oh? What's happened?"

The doctor sighed. "My husband died a few months ago. The clinic has been both short-staffed and losing money. Most people just can't afford my treatment."

"Then why not drop the price?" Cain wondered.  


Ina sighed again. "It's as low as it goes. Do you know how much it costs to run a hospital, especially in Victorian ages?! The prices are so high, and so is poverty. We much work hard not to fall into the Working Class."

Suddenly, a man ran over. "Doctor Carter! You promised to check my daughter!"

"Ah yes," the doctor said. She turned to Cain. "Come, I'll show you my work."

~*~

The girl sat on the desk, letting Ina listen to her heart.

"What's your symptoms, Evangeline?" Ina asked.

Evangeline blinked. "I get really out of breath, and sometimes my heart hurts, and stuff."

Ina did some more check-ups. "I see the problem."

"What is it?" Evangeline's father asked.

"The artery in her heart has reduced in size, so it is hard for her to do physical exercise. But a simple operation will fix that."

"How much will it cost?" Evangeline asked.

"Don't worry Eva," her father said, hugging her. "However much it costs, daddy will treat you so you'll get better."

"It costs 8 hundred pounds." Ina said. And in those times, pounds meant a lot more than they do nowadays.

"EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

Ina shook her head. "Really, it costs that much. We must pay for the equipment, the doctors, the painkillers, the anaesthetics, the medicine afterwards and the tip."

Eva's father groaned. "Fine, fine, I'll pay. I want Eva to lead of a happy life." 

"Would you do anything to give her a happy life?" Ina asked.

"Yes, anything."

Ina looked at the man. "A lot of people say that, but a few keep their promises. If you fail to keep it up, your daughter will be taken away from you."

Cain frowned. /Does this have anything to do with the mysterious deaths?/

Eva's father frowned. "What…?"

"OOH!" Eva cried. "That's a passage from 'Lady of the Rain', isn't it?"

Ina nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Lady of the Rain?" Cain asked.

"It's a story," Ina explained. "About an old woman who was visited by the Lady of the Rain. The Lady granted her a child, saying if she did not love the child more than anything, it will be taken away from her."

"Did it?" Cain asked.

"Yep!" said Eva. "The old woman forced the girl to marry the prince, even though the girl didn't want to! On the day of the wedding, it rained so hard that the river over-flowed and the bride disappeared into the rain and was never seen again."

It hit Cain. The Lady of the Rain. The Mysterious Deaths. The Fact that were all linked to the Ina Carter Foundation. The fact that the girls were unhappy when they disappeared.

It was because Ina led them in the rain to show their parents what comes of breaking promises.

…or is it because of Ina…?

****

To Be Continued…

Hmm…another cliff-hanger? Thank you "Rain" for reviewing. The Ina Carter Foundation has nothing to do with Delilah. For you, I'll add Jezebel in. Later. Maybe in the next chapter. Hmmm…

So, what do you think will happen, gentle and not-so-gentle readers? Stay tuned!

--Birdie 


	3. Is it or is it not?

Hello everyone. Here's the third chapter of this saga. Hope it meets up to expectations. All reviews will be answered at the end. And wish a very happy birthday to me! Is it 17th of July when this is on the Net? Because if it is, then it's my birthday! Whoo! Have a nice day, people! ^_^

Warning: Quite a long chapter and very mild slashly bits between Riff and Cain. I didn't really see a decent opportunity for real slash. Jezebel appears near the end of the chapter, but he's only a minor character, sorry!

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The Lady of the Rain

Chapter 3

By Birdie

__

When the old woman heard this, she was overjoyed: her daughter might be marrying the prince. But when the girl heard about the news, she was very sad.

"Mother," she said. "I don't want to marry the prince. I want to stay here and look after you when you are too old to work."

The old woman was very angry when she heard this. "Don't be so stupid!" she told her daughter harshly. "Do you know what it means to be a princess?! You may never need to work again, and we won't have to be so poor!!!"

"I don't care!" the girl tried to say. 

But her mother wouldn't hear of it. She forced her daughter to agree to the marriage.

The prince was delighted, and began to plan the wedding. But the girl wept sadly, her tears almost as heavy as the rain outside.

~*~

Cain stayed at the Ina Carter Foundation all day. He learned a great many things, like how many doctors there were in the ward, and what the procedure to treating a patient was. He also saw a real operation, and it looked like a normal surgery, to Cain's disappointment. He was hoping for something suspicious to happen.

The count met with the boy in surgery. His name was Oliver; he was Ina's son. The child went in for surgery much like Evangeline's. His behaviour was very normal, and what he timetable was very normal (Cain was again disappointed that there was nothing suspicious happening)

"Oliver, I want to ask you some questions." Cain said, taking out a small, black notebook.

"Fire away!" the boy told him.

"Have you heard of the murder cases?" the count asked.

Oliver nodded, his blue eyes still fixed on the count. "I have," he said coldly. "And I also know people are suspecting my mother as the killer."

"We won't go into that." Cain said quickly. He was trying to drop the suspect.

"You think she killed those girls, don't you?" Oliver asked fiercely. "Well she wouldn't have! She's not that kind of person!"

"Stop shouting, Oliver." Mary ordered. She walked in with a aerosol can, which was very tall and very thin. It was made out of tin material and had no label on it. "Here, take your medicine."

Oliver sprayed the gas and sniffed it deeply. He gave it back to Mary and fell asleep immediately. 

"What's that?" Cain asked, pointing to the can.

"It's our medicine to help the patients get better." Mary answered.

Cain looked at it. "It smells rather strange…" he said suspiciously, nose twitching. "And it's not chloroform…" 

Mary huffed and walked away. "Medicine smells weird, sir…"

Cain stared at the doorway, which was now empty. "…so is poison…" he muttered darkly.

~*~

Cain blew on his tea before sipping it lightly. It was very hot. "I have a feeling who the murder is." He said to Riff softly.

"Oh?" Riff inquired. "Who might it be then, master Cain?"

Cain smirked one of his sly but oh-so-gorgeous smirks. "I have a sneaky suspicion it's Ina Carter."

Riff frowned. "Ina Carter…? Why do you think that?"

"Well," Cain put his tea-cup back onto the table in front of him. "When I was visiting her clinic, she said: 

'A lot of people say that, but a few keep their promises. If you fail to keep it up, your daughter will be taken away from you.'

I had a feeling from that sentence that she was the one leading the girls into the river. AND, today, the ward sister was handing out suspicious solvents. Ina would have prescribed them."

Cain paused. He thought for some time, not saying anything. There was a tense silence in the room. "But it if WAS Ina," he said after a while. "Then she wouldn't have anymore patients left, would she now? And, the solvents were used for her son, she wouldn't kill her own son, would she…?"

Riff nodded sensibly. "I would think so too."

Cain sighed. "That's one suspect down." He pulled out his black notebook and crossed out "Ina Carter".

Riff leaned over and read on the top of the book. "Does that say 'Second suspect: Delilah'?" 

Cain nodded. "Yes, I was thinking Delilah has something to do with all these deaths." 

"How come, sir?" Riff asked, returning to normal standing position.

"Because Delilah ALWAYS has something to do with mysterious deaths, silly," the dark hair count teased. "It seems sensible to put them down, just in case."

"I suppose now we're going to go on an epic hunt for Jezebel…" Riff muttered, pouring more tea.

"What's that you say?" Cain asked, not hearing everything.

"Oh nothing, I was talking to myself." Riff looked out the window. Rain was pelting on the leaves outside their hotel room. The scenery outside the glass seemed to be a misty grey; it was very depressing. 

Riff squinted his eyes as a he say a little figure, running through the rain. It was heading towards the hotel, trying to shield itself with a little umbrella. The person seemed to be in a hurry. It ran into the hotel and disappeared out of Riff's sight.

"Riff…" Cain muttered. "What do you think of this place?"

Riff turned to Cain, who was sitting in his chair, in the exact same position. "You want the honest truth?"

"Oh course."

"This place is worse than the slums of London."

Cain laughed. "Then why stay?" he giggled. It was meant as a joke, but Riff didn't realise.

"I'm here to be with you," Riff said gently. He leaned forward, their faces were now almost touching. "Always and forever with you." He breathed.

Cain blushed. "Umm…that was actually a rhetorical question." He said quietly.

"Oh!" Riff went red too. He suddenly realised what he was doing to and jerked away. Cain blinked blankly at this strange behaviour.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Both men jumped in surprise. Straightening himself up, Riff walked slowly over and opened it.

Evangeline was standing outside, her skirt dripping with rain. She was panting, as if she was in a hurry to get here. An umbrella was in her hand.

"Eva?" Cain realised and stood up. "What's wrong?"  
  
Evangeline looked at Cain with fearful eyes. "I just realised something!" she cried. 

Riff led her inside, and she sat down on a next to Cain. She leaned over the Cain and said quickly:

"Ina Carter is not the murderer!" 

Cain looked at her strangely. "Why wouldn't she be…I mean why WOULD she be?" he quickly said. 

/Gyaah! I nearly gave away the suspect!/ he thought.

Eva started to fiddle with her dress. "Because…because…" she began.

She paused. Cain waited. Riff waited. Here was another tense silence.

"BECAUSE DOCTOR CARTER WOULDN'T KILL HER OWN SON!!!" Evangeline cried at last.

Cain stared. "What?" he said in disbelief. "Oliver's DEAD?!"

~*~

Cain knocked on the door of Ina's office. He knocked twice, but no answer. "Doctor Carter?" he called. "It's Cain Hargreave. Can I come in?"

There was a muffled sob. Finally, a little voice inside said: "Yes, please come in, Count."

Cain opened the door and walked in. The office was very small, and very messy. Books and files were scattered all over the floor and the desk was stacked high with paper and even more files.

Ina turned around, her eyes were bloodshot and still shining with tears. "Hmm…what can I do for you, count?"

"I want to ask you about Oliver's death." Cain answered. 

Ina sighed. "Fine, I knew it would come to this. Me and Oliver was arguing before the operation."

Cain frowned. "Really? About what?"

The pale doctor's hand wavered in the air. "I wanted him to marry Evangeline. It meant that her father could have a discount in the operation and I could have a serious grant in my research. But Oliver didn't like Evangeline. I wanted to tell him that I didn't love his father when we first met, but I grew to love him, but Oliver wouldn't listen. Kids nowadays."

Ina smiled at Cain. "There's a lesson to all this, don't you think so, Count?"

Cain stared at her. "What's that."

"Never take your children for granted. Never force them to do something so major if they don't want to. Always remember the moral of Lady of the Rain." Ina told him, and burst back into the tears.

There was another knock on the door. "Doctor Carter," came a voice. "Are you able to operate on Miss. Evangeline today?"  
  
Cain frowned, turning to the door. /That voice is familiar…/

Ina turned to the door too. "No," she called. "You go do the operation for me, doctor Disraeli."

"DISRAELI?! JEZEBEL?!"

Cain pushed opened the door. Jezebel was standing outside, his long blonde hair tied up and wearing a clean surgery outfit.

"I knew it!!" the count cried. "Delilah is behind all these murders!"

Jezebel stared at Cain for a moment, and then said: "You're so naïve, dear Cain."

Cain looked at him. "What…?!"

Jezebel started to walk back to the ward. Cain followed him. "Don't you think I have other jobs BESIDES being a doctor at Delilah?" the blonde explained. "I DO have other work, you know." He turned to Cain. "Now excuse me, I have a patient to operate on."

"You're not going to cut Eva up and put some ungodly substance into her body are you?" Cain asked suspiciously.

Jezebel turned back to Cain. There was a bored look on his face. "Count, stop it. Of COURSE I'm going to put an ungodly substance into her body(!) This has been going on for so long you don't need to ask." Jezebel was being heavily sarcastic, and Cain knew it.

"You didn't have to said it like that…" Cain muttered, annoying was that tone.

Jezebel stopped. "The murders aren't done by me. I wouldn't kill people just so they'll be found again. That's so stupid. And besides, there are a lot more psychopaths in this country BESIDES me," he noticed a trolley wheeling past. "Ah! That's my patient. I need to go now."

Evangeline was laying on the trolley, being ready to be wheeled into theatre. She seemed to be so peaceful when sleeping, her chest gently rising and falling with each breath.

Cain looked at her as she was wheeled past him.

Suddenly, Eva's hand shot out and grabbed Cain's sleeve.

"WHAT?!" Jezebel cried, realising. "Why isn't the chloroform working?! Someone get Mary!!"

Eva looked up at Cain with sleepy eyes. "Count…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I think I'm next…"

"What?" Cain asked, highly confused.

"I think the Lady's going to get me next…" Eva was almost crying as she whispered this. "Because my father is making me marry some guy. But Count, I don't wanna die…please, don't let Her get me…"  
  
Cain leaned down and whispered back. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
Eva smiled in gratitude. A chloroform-filled (a/n: gyaah! What a mouthful to say!) handkerchief was put before her nose and she past out again.

The trolley was then wheeled out by Jezebel, out of Cain's sight down the dimly-lit corridors.

****

To Be Continued…

Would Cain keep his promise? Who's the killer? Will Eva die? Find out in the next chapter. Urgh, I sound like a TV presenter…

--Birdie

REVIEWS!!! To…

Rei Bianca: is this update soon enough? Hope you liked it!

Rain: thank you for reviewing again. Sorry if Jezebel wasn't in a very big part, I didn't really know where to put him. Hope this chapter was alright. Hmmm…I won't reveal all about the killer. You'll just have to see. ^_^ All I'll say is this: Count Cain has many twists in the manga. This story also a twist.

MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!: shut up and go away. I hate it that you're so historical (and yes, working class was from PSHE)

Elf Asato: I've tried to use your writing advice, but I'm not 100% sure I've succeeded. ^_^;; sorry. I hope this is moving at a better pace, and has more build up. I've tried really hard…please review again to give me more advice!

Thanks all! --Birdie


	4. The Alpha Plan

Whoa! I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry for the long absence!! I was on holiday, and there was no internet access, so I couldn't post this up. Sorry!!! Please don't ignore me!!

Note: I know Cain can be called both Count AND Earl, but I like to stick with Count, because I've been reading off sakura-cisis.net and they call him Count. Sorry to the people who are screaming:

"It's EARL!!!" to their computer screens. ^_^;; besides, is there a difference? *smirk*

Disclaimer: Riff, Jezebel, Merryweather and Cain all belong to Kaori Yuki (who rules).

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Lady of the Rain

Chapter 4

By Birdie

__

One the day of the wedding, it was raining harder than ever before in history. The girl sat, staring out the window. A tear silent drifted down her face. She turned back to the full-length mirror in front of her. Her body looked beautiful in the traditional white silk wedding gown, but her expression was not beautiful at all. She sighed and dried the tear.

She could hear the church bells ringing. It was almost time. So she opened the door and went out, her head bent low so no one could see her face.

Minutes seemed like hours when the celebrations began. The young bride sat at the table, looking over the feast that was being served. The food looked delicious, but she did not want to eat. Her new family tried to offer her food, but she would not accept it. The sound of the beating rain made her quite sick.

Suddenly, a servant ran it. "The banks have flooded!" he cried in fear and astonishment. "The water is coming towards the palace!!"

The guests started to panic and the hall went catastrophic. The waters came in and entire palace was filled with wet, wet liquid. 

Everyone in the palace swam for their lives. No one cared about the girl anymore.

~*~

Evangeline came out of her operation all in one piece, much to Cain's relief. She was very pale, but Jezebel told him she was going to be fine. Cain decided to believe him…just this once. But as he sat on the platform of the window, he still couldn't help but have a dark feeling about that doctor…

"I still think Jezebel's suspicious…" Cain muttered darkly to Riff, who was sitting on the chair nearest the window.

"You always think Doctor Jezebel is suspicious, master Cain." Riff said quietly.

Eva coughed in her sleep, rolled over and continued sleeping peacefully. Riff started fidgeting very strangely. It wasn't like him at all.

"Riff?" Cain asked, frowning. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Riff said quickly, trying to stop fidgeting.

"Are you bored?" the count asked, highly amused. It was very unusual to see Riff NOT in his calm, sophisticated manner, and it was quite funny for our dark-haired count.

There was a momentary silence. Then a weak little: "Yes, I'm very bored…"

Cain laughed: Riff was acting like Merryweather and it was hilarious. "Riff, come here." Cain patted the empty space next to him on the platform. Riff walked quickly over and sat down. He stared at Cain, his face covered with a 'so, what's next?' look. 

Cain stared back at Riff, a little smirk on his face. "Riff…" he said. "Have you ever kissed before?"

Riff's eyes widened. "Come…come again?" he asked, sweat-dropping slightly.

"Have you ever kissed before?" Cain repeated calmly, savouring Riff's look as if it was the last spoonful of ice-cream on a summer day.

Slowly, Riff nodded his head up and down. "Yes, I've kissed before." He muttered.

"How many times?" the dark-haired young man pressed on.

Riff blushed. He stuttered and turned away. "Once or twice, I only kiss the people I really like." He said shyly. 

"Did you enjoy it?" Cain leaned closer, his breath was now tickling against Riff's skin.

Riff gulp. "It's alright…I…" before he could finish, warm lips were pressed against his mouth. 

Cain was kissing him and it completely took Riff's breath away. It wasn't something he expected to happen, but he couldn't deny that he wished it would.

Cain deepened the kissed by pushing his tongue into his butler's mouth. Riff returned the kiss and met Cain's tongue with his own. They ran over each other like two snakes, before Cain dominated the situation by leaving Riff's tongue and exploring his mouth instead.

The two men parted when oxygen was getting short. They were both panting from lust and surprise. Cain stared into Riff's eyes and Riff stared back. 

"Did you enjoy that?" the count asked, a sexily smile playing on his face.

Riff nodded, smiling. "Yes, I enjoyed it very much."

The brunette pressed on. "You let me kiss you," he said. "Does that mean you really like me?"  
  
His butler nodded. "I like you very, very much, master Cain." He said seriously, leaning in to kiss Cain again. Cain's face fluttered into a sleepy expression; his eyes half-closed and the two kissed again.

Suddenly, a weak little voice piped up: "Do you like me too?"

Cain and Riff jumped in surprise, turning to the voice. It was Evangeline, who was grinning away in her bed, looking pale, thin but full mischief and excitement. 

A/N: I bet she's a slash/yaoi/shounen-ai fan…

Cain sweat-dropped slightly. "I like you a lot too, Eva…" he said sheepishly. He nudged Riff, who was also sweat-dropping. Cain stared at him with a 'say something!' look. Riff smiled and repeated what Cain said.

Eva was still grinning. She looked at Cain and said: "Did you find anything suspicious?" she asked. Cain figured it had something to do with the operation.

The count shook his head. "No, there was nothing out of the ordinary…"  
  
Eva sighed in disappointment. Her grin faded and she looked like a little lost kitten. It seriously depressed Riff, so he spoke up, even though he had no idea what they were talking about:  


"I think that chloroform is pretty suspicious…"  


There was a pause in the room. Cain stared at him. "Why do you think that, Riff?"

Riff stopped. He thought for a moment: well, if he was to say he just said it to make Eva happy, it would seem rude; if he was to make up something straight off the top of his head, it would seem stupid. But he took a shot in the dark and said:

"It may not be chloroform," the blonde said, trying to sound like he knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. "Solvents, as you may have heard, can cause unconsciousness when given in large doses."

Cain stared at him. Eva stared at him. Riff sweat-dropped again.

/Ah crap…/ he thought. /I've probably made a complete fool of myself…/

"Riff…you're a genius…" Cain whispered at last. "That's brilliant…"

/Huh?/

Cain stood up, with the excitement and happiness that is only possibly found in the wonderful world of Anime. 

"Why didn't I think of this before!" the count shouted triumphantly. "That chloroform is actually a drug, and is addictive. That's why those children follow the smell and lead a horrible death in the river!!" 

Cain stopped. "But Ina is a doctor, surely she'd know that the medicine she was giving was harmful."

"Maybe she really wanted to kill off all those kids." Riff said, hoping to be important and/or smart again.

(a/n: poor Riff, he never gets any terribly important and/or clever lines in the manga)

"I very much doubt it," Evangeline piped up. "She would never kill Oliver, at least. She was really close to him. And if she was to really kill her patients, then her clinic would be used in dark rumours."

/It already is full of dark rumours/ Cain thought to himself. Making up a swift decision in less than 10 seconds, he grabbed his coat and marched straight to the door. 

"Master Cain?" Riff asked, standing up, as if to follow his master. "Where are you going?"

Cain turned to Riff and smiled (it made Riff and Evangeline go a bit weak in the legs). He put on his hat and said: "I'm going to find out about the drug! Wish me luck!" 

"Good luck Mister Cain!" Eva beamed, the heart-mark in her speech was almost visible. Riff nodded the statement, smiling warmly.

Cain pulled the hat over his eyes, he twisted the golden doorknob, and left for his mission.

~*~

Ina jumped to the knocking on her office door; no one has bothered her for the past…5 hours. She sat in a tiny office, trying to sigh death certificates and sort of medicine. 

The pale doctor was also a bit angry to this sudden intrusion. She stormed out of her chair and pulled open the door. Cain was standing outside, his left hand positioned to knock again, his right hand was behind his back.

"Count," Ina said sourly, glaring at him. "Didn't read the notice on the door?"

Cain stared at her blankly. "A notice, Doctor Carter?" he asked in confusion.

Ina turned the oak door around, and stared at it in surprise, or suspicion. "Strange…" she frowned. "I put a notice on the door a few hours ago…"

Cain stroked the door, as if stroking for clues. "What notice was that, doctor?" he asked, turning from the door back to Ina.

Ina had an 'oh well' look on her face. "It said: 'Do Not Disturb', but I guess someone stole it." she sighed, then: "Nothing good lasts forever, does it?" she asked, smiled sadly at Cain.

Cain shook his head to that question. "Unfortunately, no." he answered truthfully.

(A/N: probably thinking of the time he kissed Riff…)

Ina gestured to her office. "Well, come inside, and tell me what you want." She then went inside and started to sort out a space free from papers and files.

Cain watched her for a moment, before throwing aside the object in his right hand and walking into the office, shutting the door behind him.

Jezebel heard the object drop, so he walked over to see what it was. He picked it up from the floor and said quietly to himself: "Hmmm…a 'Do Not Disturb' sign? Wonder why Cain would need something like that…"

  
~*~

Cain was very surprised that Ina had tea in her office. He sipped it, put it on a stack of paper, before turning his attention back to Ina.

Ina held her hot tea tightly in her hand, staring at the brown liquid as if she was seeing the future in it. Cain made a little coughing noise, and she snapped out of her trance.

"Huh?" she asked, looking around confused. She suddenly realised and blushed. "Umm…yes, well, say what you want to say…"

Cain stared at her with his piecing gold/green eyes. "Doctor, did you prescribe the chloroform to your patients?"

There was blank on the doctor's face. "Chloroform…count?" Ina was utterly confused.

"That's the medicine that the patients are given to 'help them' after the operation." Cain explained.

Ina realised. "Oh!" she said. "Oh THAT!" she giggled at her confusion. "No, Mary prescribed that."

"And you trust her?"

"Oh yes," the blonde woman answered firmly. "I trust Mary with my life: I've known her for a long, long time and she's totally harmless."  
  
Just out of curiosity, Cain asked: "How long have you known Mary?"

Ina stared at Cain, she thought for a moment and then used her fingers to count. "Umm…well, she started working in this hospital when my husband was treating me, and Oliver was 14 then, so it was about 5 years ago!" she said, triumphant with her calculations.

"Why did she start working here?" Cain decided if he started to ask, he might as well continue asking.

The doctor he was facing shrugged. "She never really talks about it, but I don't think it's a happy time in her life."

"I see." Cain stood up and walked out the door. "Thank you for you're time, Doctor Carter."

Ina nodded. "My pleasure, Count." She turned her chair around to face the desk, and continued working.

~*~

A few days later, Evangeline was fit enough to go home. But she said she'd rather stay in hospital. Cain asked her why as she sat on the bed, swinging her legs from the side.

"Because," she answered, worry in her eyes. "If I go home, the Lady of the Rain will get me."

Cain laughed out loud. "Don't worry about that!" he told her. "Me and Riff have an Alpha Plan for her. Right, Riff?" he turned to his butler.

Riff nodded. "Yes, master Cain and I plan to catch the Lady when you go home. When you're walking to the scent, me and master Cain will be hiding in the bushes nearby and we'll get her then!"

Eva stared at them. She looked around to see if was anyone else, before turning back to Cain. "Okay!" she exclaimed. "So that's settled!" she smiled. "I wish us all luck!!" 

~*~

A few days later, Riff and Cain sat in their hotel room, doing what they usually do. To go into details, Cain was idly drinking tea and reading. Riff, on the other hand, was standing there, waiting for something to happen. It was very quiet in the room. 

/Almost to quiet…/ Riff thought to himself, fiddling about with edge of the tablecloth. 

"Tonight's the night." Cain said suddenly, causing Riff to jump a meter in the air in shock. Cain smirked at Riff's behaviour. 

The butler clutched his chest, breathing heavily. "The night of what…?" he was so scared he could hardly speak.

Cain turned back to his little book as he said: "I feel that Eva should be getting killed around this time. Perhaps we should check up on her…"

Riff nodded, straightening himself as he turned to Cain. "It would be rude just to turn up at Miss Evangeline's door, don't you think?"

Cain thought for a moment. "We're Eva's friends, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind." 

He turned to the window. Like always, it was pouring with rain. It has been raining for 3 days without stopping. Rhythmic beating on the glass and windowpane, non-stop, forever going. Cain felt a strange urge in his heart, but once he turned back to Riff, it was gone. 

"Anyway," the count continued, standing up. "We should go soon, before the rain gets any heavier."

Riff nodded. "Alright, master." He help Cain put his coat on and they went out to catch a passing carriage.

~*~

The cloud-covered sun rose to noon, then set to evening. It was still raining, and it covered the night scenery like a veil. 

Evangeline sat under a big tree with Cain and Riff. The girl decided to pretended to argue with her mother, and pretended to run out. It was the beginning to the Alpha Plan. Now all the three had to do, was wait.

Cain sighed, brushing rain off his face. He turned to Eva, and frowned. "Eva, are you okay?"

Eva's nose twitched. "I smell…that smell…" she said, standing up slowly. When she was standing in full height, she turned to her companions. "I think we should begin."

The two men nodded. "Go, we'll be in front." Cain told her, and went around.

Eva lifted her long lilac dress above her ankles and walked carefully through the grass. Hearing the beating of the rain in water, she knew she was very near the river. 

/I must be careful…/ she thought to herself. She carried on walking to the smell though, but her eyes darted right to left, keeping a look-out for any suspicious beings.

Riff and Cain treaded carefully along the bank. "Master Cain," Riff whispered. "If the Lady is luring children into the river, shouldn't she be at the other side?"

Cain stared at him. "You're right." He waved his hand for Riff to follow him, before whispered. "Come with me."

They walked over a big broken tree, and passed through a small bog. Cain frowned, slowly pushing away bushes to easier his access. Riff tapped his shoulder.

"Master."

"What?" was the almost urgent reply.

"Look?" Riff pointed and Cain looked in that direction:

A creature was hiding in the shadows, but it could be seen spraying the air with the solvent. Cain gasped. "That's Her!"

The creature was oblivious to the two men that were creeping before it. It was concentrating on Evangeline, who was coming ever-closer this way.

Suddenly, a gun was pressed hard against the creature's head. It heard a *click*.

"Move, and I'll shoot," it was the voice of Count Cain, and the tone was very serious. The creature gulp. "Turn around." He ordered.

The creature turned around slowly, and it was soon staring at gun. Riff lit an oil lamp, and put it to the creature's face to see who it was.

The two men gasped at the murderer.

"It's…it's YOU!!!" Cain cried.

****

To Be Continued…

GAARRGH!!! Cliff-hanger!!! So, guess who the murder is. Please review, because I'm seriously depressed that no one has reviewed me yet. :P

Thank you, Rei Bianca, for reviewing so loyally. I'm full of gratitude.

--Birdie


	5. The the murderer is

Yay! Final chapter! Enjoy!! 

Disclaimer: Count Cain Jezebel, and Riff belongs to Kaori Yuki, who rules.

****

The Lady of the Rain

Chapter 5

By Birdie

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'When water set down, no one can find the girl. They search everywhere, but it was useless. The servants were convinced that the flood carried her away, and all hope was lost.

The old woman cried bitterly at the loss of her daughter. She remember the Lady of the Rain's words:

"If you put your child's happiness after your own, she'll be taken away from you." The old woman drowned in her own sorrow, realising that karma was after all true. What she did was what she got in return.

The prince was also very sad about the loss of his bride. He found no peace for a long time, and lost the urge to find another wife. But years later, he met a princess from a distant land, and he married her. They held a wedding celebration like no other. There was dancing, music and chatting. Everyone was happy.

A few days later, the prince decided to go fishing again. It was raining, so he hid under a tree. beating In his ears, the girl's voice ran. She was laughing, happy. She giggled, and she asked him: "Can you see me? Are you happy?" 

The prince could almost see her smiling. "Remember it's cruel to take fishes out the water," she reminded, her voice as gentle as the rain outside. "Ah prince, come, and dance with me!" '

~*~

"It's...it's YOU!!" Cain cried.

Mary stared from the gun to Cain's face. She glared at him, but said nothing. She just kept very still, just kneeling on the wet bank, the solvent can held tightly in her hand.

Evangeline suddenly appeared behind them. "Count!" she came running over. "Who's the murderer?" she saw Mary, and gasped, almost screaming. "MARY?!" she stared at the fat woman in front of her. "But..." Eva was almost sobbing from utter shock. "But why...?"

Mary said nothing. She was just glaring at the three. The only sound was the rain, splashing on the grass and in the river.

Cain eyed Mary. "Okay, I'll guess why you did it..." he said. He thought for a moment. "...for starters, I bet your parents sold you to the Ina Carter Foundation. And you started to get revenge on those who parents who upsets their own children—"

"They have no right to do what they did!!" Mary exploded. "Cause their children such misery. It isn't fair. Children have feelings too, you know." 

Mary grabbed her head, as if stopping a massive headache. Her shoulders shook, as if she was crying. But she wasn't; she was laughing. "My father...he did sell me," she said bitterly. "And for what reason? he needed that money for alcohol." She scoffed, looking up. Pure hatred was in her eyes. "I was brilliant at school, and I could have been a teacher. But no, for his own selfish reasons, father had to tear my future from me."

"I killed him, did you know that?" she said, grinning like a madman, or woman in this case. "I sprayed him with so much solvent that the death was instant."

(A/N: Don't try that at home, kids...)

She sighed, shaking her head violently. Her hair came out of her bun, and tumbled down her neck and onto her shoulders. "But his death wasn't enough," she said sadly. "I saw so many situations at the Foundation, that I had to do something. This personal reason was so strong, I couldn't stop it."

She smiled kindly, for the first time in their eyes. Tears were now on her cheeks, and she muttered: "Well, I guess it's over now." She put her on Cain's, her fingers were on his. "Goodbye, everyone." She whispered, her voice barely audible against the rain.

Her fingers tightened around Cain's, so that he unwilling pulled the trigger. Cain's eyes widened, he was going to pull away, but he was too late.

*BANG*

"MARY!!!!" Eva cried. 

Mary fell backwards from the impact. Blood was everywhere, falling later than the body as it dropped into the river. There was big splash, and silence.

Cain was trembling, his arms held in the same position. He was shaking so badly that the gun fell out of his blood-stained hand. He touched his face, there blood on it too. Mary's blood was all over him, and he felt quite sick.

"Riff..." he whispered. "What happens now?" he asked, his voice small and weak.

Riff wrapped his arms around Cain from behind. He kissed Cain on the cheek, and tried to stop his master from shaking. "I don't know," he said truthfully. "I don't know."

~*~

It's been a week since that event. The police still haven't managed to find the body. They said they doubt if it'll ever turn up, unlike the rest. 

Ina said nothing on this agenda, in fact, she said nothing at all. A few days after the police investigation, Cain found her on the banks. She just stood there, staring at the river, her blonde hair blowing in the wind. Tears were in her eyes. She looked more pale and thin than usual. It made her seem very weak.

Cain walked over. "Are you alright, doctor Carter?" he asked gently.

Ina smiled weakly, not turning to the count. "I'm quite alright, thank you..." she muttered. It's the first times she's spoken in days. "Still, I should have realised, shouldn't I?" she finally turned to the boy she was talking to. "That She was the murderer, when it was right in front of our noses. She was so obvious, and yet..."

Cain gave her a sad look. "You still haven't managed to say her name yet, have you?" he whispered, his voice so low only Ina could hear.

The doctor shook her head. She sighed, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm not sure if I'll say her name ever again, actually." She whispered back.

Another sigh. Ina turned and walked away. "I wish you luck, Count!" she called as she walked off.

/May you have luck too, doctor.../ Cain thought, watching the woman walk away, out of his sight forever.

~*~

Evangeline ran over to Cain and Riff, as they loaded their carriage with suitcases. "Goodbye Mr. Cain! Goodbye Mr. Riff!!" she beamed.

Riff smiled, pushing the suitcase deeper into the trunk. "Goodbye Miss. Evangeline! I hope life goes well for you after this!"

Eva nodded. "And you too! Thank you for saving my life!" she said to Cain.

Cain shrugged simply. "That's okay. Be well, Eva! If you have anymore heart problems, go to Ina immediately. There's nothing that will get you NOW!"

Eva giggled. "I will!" she watched Cain and Riff board the carriage. "Have a safe journey back to London! If you have time, come visit us again!"

Cain nodded through the window. "I will! Goodbye!"

Eva smiled, as the carriage was driven away by two strong horses. Cain's head disappeared inside, and could not be seen anymore. Evangeline sighed, though it was a dangerous experience, it was also fun and she made new friends. She turned around and slowly made her way back home.

Jezebel watched from the tree nearby. He smiled, and ran his hand though his long blonde hair. He turned to the moving carriage and muttered: "Goodbye, Count, until we meet again!"

The last drop of rain splattered on the muddy ground, as the sun finally shone through the wet leaves above.

The End

Author's Notes: This has been shorter than all the other chapters! I hope Lady of the Rain has been fun to read! Please review soon!

Where on earth has Rain got herself (or himself, but I doubt it) to??? Why doesn't she review anymore?!

****

Thanks to...

Rei Bianca for reviewing all the way through! You've been very encouraging! And you're very smart for realising it's Mary...or am I just a crap mystery author? It's probably me. Anyway, thanks again. You've been great.

Elf Asato for all your good advice and you're almost-constant reviews. Seriously, I thought you've given hope on me but in the end you reviewed. Thank you so much!!! I'll try to be more detailed in my next story too.

--Birdie

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5/3/2004: I have changed all the "chlorophyll" to "chloroform", so I will no longer receive any reviews saying how it was wrong. This is one of my earlier works, hope it is doesn't suck too much. Bye everyone!

--Birdie (again)


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